FEA says each bona fide candidate or registered political party for a nationally elective office shall be entitled to not more than one hundred twenty (120) minutes of television advertisement and one hundred eighty (180) minutes of radio advertisement whether by purchase or donation.

It also mandates that any mass media columnist, commentator, announcer, reporter, on-air correspondent or personality who is a candidate for any elective public office or is a campaign volunteer for or employed or retained in any capacity by any candidate or political party shall be deemed resigned, if so required by their employer, or shall take a leave of absence from his/her work as such during the campaign period: Provided, That any media practitioner who is an official of a political party or a member of the campaign staff of a candidate or political party shall not use his/her time or space to favor any candidate or political party.

Bello said the Comelec issued Resolution No. 9615 three years ago to expand the definition of “political advertisement” to include media appearances in shows not covered by the Comelec hour.

Pasensiya sa nose bleed, Inglis ho uli tayo. Comelec Resolution No. 10049, or the IRR of RA 9006 or Fair Election Law, prohibits showing publicly in a theater, through a TV station, or any public forum any movie, cinematography or documentary, including concert or any type of performance, portraying the life or biography of a candidate.

The resolution also prohibits any radio, television, cable TV station, announcer or broadcaster from allowing any program or any sponsor to favor or oppose any candidate or party by repeatedly mentioning his name or his party.